Accelerated Notch-dependent degradation of E47 proteins in aged B cell precursors is associated with increased ERK MAPK activation

J Immunol. 2007 Mar 15;178(6):3521-9. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.178.6.3521.

Abstract

The transcriptional regulator E47, encoded by the E2A gene, is crucial to B lymphopoiesis. In BALB/c senescent mice (approximately 2 years old), the incidence of E47-expressing pro-B cells in vivo and E47 protein steady state levels in B cell precursors in vitro were reduced. Poor expression of E47 protein was a consequence of accelerated proteasome-mediated turnover and was associated with heightened ubiquitin modification of E2A-encoded proteins in aged B cell precursors. Both MAPK and Notch activity have been previously associated with E2A-encoded protein stability in lymphocytes. Aged B cell precursors exhibited heightened levels of MAPK activity reflected in increased levels of phospho-ERK proteins. Phosphorylation of E2A-encoded proteins was also increased in aged B cell precursors and pharmacologic inhibition of MEK-1 resulted in a partial restoration of their E47 protein. Both Notch proteins and their Delta-like ligands were detected comparably in young and aged B cell precursors. Either inhibition of Notch activation via gamma-secretase or Ab blockade of Notch-Delta-like ligand interactions partially restored E47 expression in aged B cell precursors. We hypothesize that increased MAPK activity promotes phosphorylation of E2A-encoded protein in aged B cell precursors. Subsequently, E2A-encoded proteins undergo ubiquitination and accelerated degradation in a Notch-dependent process. The dysregulation of E2A-encoded protein expression may contribute to the reductions seen in early B lymphopoiesis during murine senescence.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Aging / immunology
  • Aging / metabolism*
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases / immunology
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases / metabolism
  • Animals
  • B-Lymphocytes / immunology*
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors / immunology
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Enzyme Activation / immunology
  • Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / immunology
  • Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Regulation / immunology
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cells / immunology
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cells / metabolism*
  • Lymphopoiesis / immunology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Phosphorylation
  • Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / immunology
  • Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / metabolism
  • Protein Precursors / immunology
  • Protein Precursors / metabolism
  • Protein Processing, Post-Translational / immunology
  • Receptors, Notch / immunology
  • Receptors, Notch / metabolism*
  • Ubiquitin / immunology
  • Ubiquitin / metabolism

Substances

  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
  • Protein Precursors
  • Receptors, Notch
  • Tcf3 protein, mouse
  • Ubiquitin
  • Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases
  • Amyloid Precursor Protein Secretases
  • Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex